Where you'll be:
Explore a remote area of Rio Grande National Forest situated between La Manga Pass and Cumbres Pass on the Colorado-New Mexico border. To get there from Colorado’s front range, you’ll take a 5-hour drive over half a dozen mountain passes. The journey is beautiful and well worth the time, as you’ll be rewarded with the peace and solitude of the valley of the Rio de Los Pinos, a glacial valley with stunning scenery. The remote area boasts subalpine forests of spruce and fir, wide meadows, colorful wildflowers, and dramatic peaks.
One of the area's standout attractions is the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, a National Historic Landmark. Spanning 64 miles, it is the longest, the highest, and most authentic steam railroad in North America, traveling through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rocky Mountains.
The Rio de Los Pinos trail serves as a gateway to the rugged South San Juan Wilderness, which was shaped by volcanic eruptions and glacial carving. Here, you'll see jagged peaks, deep valleys, and crystalline lakes, all accessible via 180 miles of trails - which make up some of Colorado's most exemplary backpacking routes. The Continental Divide cuts through 42 miles of this wilderness.
What you'll do:
Join us for this habitat restoration project, where you and around 32 other volunteers will help to install beaver dam analogs (BDAs), monitor existing BDAs, and eradicate the invasive oxeye daisy from stream banks. BDA construction involves strategically placing logs and vegetation to mimic natural beaver dams, fostering deep water habitats and enhancing ecological resilience. Additionally, volunteers will help preserve native plant communities by removing oxeye daisies without the need for chemical herbicides.
Enjoy breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, along with dinner on Saturday. Bring your own lunch (BYOL). Free campsites are available on Friday and Saturday nights, and volunteers are encouraged to arrive at base camp before 8 pm on Friday.
Why it's important:
A Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) is a man-made structure designed to mimic the form and function of a natural beaver dam. BDAs can also be used to increase the probability of successful beaver translocation by creating immediate deep-water habitat that reduces the risk of predation. In general, the design and installation of BDA complexes is a simple, cost-effective, and non-intrusive approach to stream restoration that can influence a suite of hydraulic, geomorphic, and hydrologic processes to achieve a range of common restoration goals. By removing oxeye daisies from the area, you will improve the health of native plant communities and wildlife. Your efforts on this project will also help keep this sensitive area free of chemical herbicides!
Eligibility Requirements:
- Ages 16+
All youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on overnight projects.
Project Difficulty:
This project is considered easy to moderate in nature, please check our difficulty rating criteria, here, for more details
Accessibility Factors:
Vehicle Accessibility:
The campsite and work site can both be accessed with 2wd vehicles.
Other notes:
We can park on a dirt road to access the worksite within 200 ft., so there is minimal hiking.
Join us in making a positive impact while reducing your carbon footprint! Register yourself for our upcoming project and take the eco-friendly route by carpooling with fellow volunteers.
Click here to sign up for the carpool (please do this after registering for the project).
